How do you turn curiosity about emerging technology into a mission-driven career?
This month, we’re shining the spotlight on David Hobbs ’14, a Yale University graduate and founder of Voyager: AI Learning Solutions, who is helping schools navigate the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.
Now based in Zurich, David’s journey has taken him from engineering and finance to entrepreneurship, all rooted in a passion for education, innovation and meaningful connection. Guided by the belief that relationships are everything and fueled by a deep curiosity to build and explore, he is empowering educators to approach AI with confidence and purpose.
Read on to learn how his Tower Hill experience shaped his path and what advice he has for the next generation.
Editor’s Note: This Q&A has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Tell us a little about where you are now. Describe your current role, field or area of interest.
I'm based in Zurich, Switzerland, and last year I founded Voyager: AI Learning Solutions, a company dedicated to helping K–12 schools navigate and leverage artificial intelligence. I run professional development workshops, build online learning resources and work directly with school leaders to develop responsible AI strategies. It's the intersection of everything I care about: technology, education and helping people adapt to change.
The path here wasn’t linear. After Tower Hill, I studied electrical engineering at Yale, spent five years as a software engineer at a global asset management firm in Wilmington, Delaware, and then moved to Switzerland to complete my MBA at IMD Business School. That MBA year taught me true leadership skills and forced me to examine what I wanted to build my career around. AI was woven throughout the program, and I started seeing firsthand how it was reshaping education, for better and for worse. Conversations with my sister Mary Taylor ’09, who is a Middle School science teacher at Tower Hill, and other educators confirmed what I was sensing—schools need help making sense of this technology, so I built Voyager to be that resource.
Share about recent accomplishments. If you have a recent accomplishment you are proud of, what does this achievement mean to you, and what inspired or motivated you along the way?
Since founding Voyager in April 2025, I’ve gone from cold emails and early conversations to running in-person professional development workshops with schools across the Delaware area, including Upland Country Day, Ursuline, Archmere and Sanford, and hosting virtual sessions with school leaders around the US and Europe. I’ve also built out an online learning platform where teachers can explore AI topics at their own pace, from prompt engineering to building gamified learning experiences. Seeing teachers leave a workshop feeling empowered and better equipped to have thoughtful discussions, challenge assumptions and bring new ideas into their classrooms is the most rewarding part of this work.
Outside of Voyager, life has been full. I married my wonderful wife Katia in September 2023, played Battle of the Bands and Graduation Gala concerts with my MBA bandmates, and have been making the most of living in the Alps with plenty of hiking and snowboarding. I also get back to Delaware regularly, which always feels like coming home.
Thinking back to your time at Tower Hill, how did your experience here help prepare you for your journey?
As a proud Tower Hill Lifer, I’m so grateful for the education and relationships that continue to be the foundation of everything I do. I learned to write in Hugh Atkins’ 10th grade English class. Learned calculus from Jack Smith. Learned teamwork, resilience and dedication through four years of soccer, basketball and baseball. Cultivated a passion for music playing keyboards in Seussical the Musical. I learned how to achieve, but just as importantly, I learned how to fail, which has turned out to be a valuable skill in entrepreneurship.
Tower Hill shaped who I am in so many ways. Fourteen years with the same group of people builds something deeper than a network. The friendships, mentors and teachers from those years are still very much a huge part of my life.
Now more than ever, I’m grateful for Tower Hill’s culture of Multa Bene Facta.
What’s one thing you’ve learned along the way that has helped you reach your goals or stay grounded?
Relationships are everything. Starting a business from scratch taught me that pretty quickly. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you’re not building genuine connections and trust with people, it doesn’t go anywhere. The relationships I’ve built, from Tower Hill friendships to professional mentors to the educators I work with now, have been the single most important factor in anything I’ve accomplished. They also bring deeper meaning to everything.
Invest in people. It’s always worth it.
What advice would you share with current Tower Hill students, recent graduates or young alumni just starting out?
Stay curious, enthusiastic and open-minded.
We live in a world designed to distract you: short-form content, notifications and endless scrolling. The people who thrive are the ones who can focus deeply on things that matter to them. (I still struggle with this, but I'm always trying to get better!).
Read books. Build something cool. Talk to people. Take care of your physical and mental health. Learn how to sell. Become financially literate.
And don’t be afraid to try things that might not work out. Some of the most important turns in my life came from saying yes to something I wasn’t sure about.
Is there anything else you’d like to add such as a memory, shoutout or reflection, that captures what being part of the Tower Hill community means to you?
Shoutout to all my teachers and coaches! I owe so much of who I am to your guidance, mentorship and patience. Very grateful for all of you!
We are so proud of David and his accomplishments!
Learn more about David’s work and Voyager: AI Learning Solutions:
📚 Learning Platform: https://learn.voyagerailearning.com
🌐 Company Website: https://www.voyagerailearning.com
📩 Join the newsletter: https://www.voyagerailearning.com/join
✍️ Personal Blog: https://medium.com/@dave.s.hobbs
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VoyagerAILearningSolutions
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voyager.ai.learning
Email: [email protected]
